Your roof plays a major role in protecting your home from strong winds, freezing temperatures, and other winter elements. As a homeowner, you should ensure that your roof is in the best shape possible to maximize its dependability. There are several steps you can take right now to prepare your roof for this winter season.
Schedule a Professional Inspection
Prior to the harsh winter, you should learn about any issues your roof may have currently. At Intelligent Design Corporation, we conduct professional inspections to bring your attention to any threatening forms of damage or deterioration. Our team will recommend possible solutions and services for any damage we find on your roof.
Promptly Repair All Damage
If your inspection proves there are areas of damage on your roof, you should schedule a repair service as soon as possible. Choosing to ignore any threatening areas could result in more severe damage down the road. Intelligent Design Corporation can assist you with fast and efficient roof repair services.
Clean the Gutters
Cleaning your gutters during the fall and spring is essential for maintaining a protected and secure roof. Clean gutters properly direct water away from your home, which can help you prevent ice dams, icicles, and foundation damage during the winter.
If you’re in need of gutter guards or a professional gutter cleaning service, contact Intelligent Design Corporation today. We’ll help you maximize your security before winter conditions begin.
Install New Insulation
A poorly insulated attic will make your home drafty by allowing cold winter winds to pass through the walls. By installing new insulation before the winter season, you’ll be able to better prepare your roof and attic to take on the elements. Intelligent Design Corporation provides professional insulation installation services to help you maintain a comfortable home all winter long.
Address Ice Dams Before They Happen
One of the biggest threats your roof has to deal with this winter: ice dams. They’re quite perplexing at first glance—what causes these massive accumulations of ice in that specific location?—but they can be explained quite succinctly.
According to The Spruce, “Ice dams begin when snow melts on an upper, warmer part of a roof, then flows down to the colder eave overhang, where it refreezes. As the ice accumulates, it forms a blockage that prevents additional snowmelt from flowing off the roof.” That snowmelt then backs up underneath your shingles, eating away at your roof and potentially causing leaks. Combine that with the fact that ice dams can weigh hundreds of pounds on their own, and you have one great recipe for a residential roofing disaster!
Luckily, ice dams can be addressed before they even begin to form. If you've historically had issues with these wintertime menaces, it’s critical that you get a roofing contractor out to fortify your home and stop them from recurring. Via a combination of attic insulation, roofing ventilation, and sealing up air leaks, many roofs can generally be made inhospitable to them.
To learn more about attic insulation and how it plays a role in roof health, check out our roofing contractor blog on the subject.
Trim Back Your Trees
Trees are a great way to spruce up any landscaping job, but they require care to make sure wayward branches don’t scrape your home. This is especially true before winter, when harsh winds can blow them in shapes you could never imagine—not to mention break branches off entirely!
Advice on how far your trees should be from your roof to prevent damage varies. For the most accurate advice, consult a local arborist with experience dealing with your particular tree species. As Take a Yard advises, trees should never be closer than 20 feet to your home.
Contact Intelligent Design Corporation for Five-Star Residential Roofing and More
By following these steps, you can feel confident knowing that your roof is ready to take on all that Minnesota winters have to offer. Intelligent Design Corporation will provide you with a team of roofing experts to ensure every aspect of your roof is in the best condition possible. From gutter repair to shingle replacement, we have the expertise and experience to help you maintain a safe and comfortable home.
To schedule a roofing service with our team of qualified contractors, contact Intelligent Design Corporation today at 763-315-0745. We look forward to serving you!